New-patient self-history questionnaires in primary care.
BACKGROUND
In the current environment of increasing health care efficiency, the benefits of patient self-history questionnaires need to be fully explored. The utility and reliability of new-patient self-history questionnaires have been documented in the medical literature. This study investigates the prevalence of these patient self-history forms in primary care offices.


METHODS
A sample of primary care offices listed in the yellow pages by specialty were surveyed by telephone. Survey questions included the use of new-patient self-history questionnaires as well as other characteristics about the offices. Findings from offices using questionnaires were compared with findings from offices not using questionnaires.


RESULTS
Of 129 offices contacted by telephone, 116 (90 percent) responded. Of the 116 offices surveyed, 53 percent were using new-patient self-history questionnaires. Offices using questionnaires had more patients in managed care (P = 0.028) and fewer patients insured by Medicare or Medicaid (P = 0.002). There were no significant differences in other office characteristics.


CONCLUSIONS
This study shows that primary care offices underutilize new-patient self-history questionnaires.
Guthmann
R A
RA
Department of Internal Medicine, Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago, IL 60657, USA.
D006801:Humans; D008329:Managed Care Programs; D008484:Medicaid; D008487:Medical History Taking / Q000379:methods*; D006278:Medicare; D010358:Patient Participation / Q000379:methods*; D011320:Primary Health Care; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States